Executive Director, Catherine Russell of the United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF says that systemic marginalisation based on race, ethnicity gender put children in life time deprivation, leading to poor reading, comprehension skills.
The overall consequence, according to the multilateral body is that children are impaired for life and are unanble to be meanifully engaged or compete favourably with their peers not exposed to same background.
UNICEF believes that Nigeria and other countries have abundant cases of discrimination against children based on ethnicity, language, and religion.
In a statement made available to journalists, by Helen Wylie and Blessing Ejiofor , UNICEF’s media contacts in New York and Nigeria respectively to commemorate the 2022 World Children’s Day, the impact of discrimination on children shows the extent to which racism and discrimination impact children’s education, health, access to a registered birth, and a fair and equal justice system.
“It also highlights widespread disparities among minority and ethnic groups.
“This hurts us all,” she said, adding, protecting the rights of every child – whoever they are, wherever they come from – is the surest way to build a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world for everyone.”
“Among the new findings, the report shows that children from marginalized ethnic, language and religious groups in an analysis of 22 countries, lag far behind their peers in reading skills.
“On average, students aged 7-14 from the most advantaged group are more than twice as likely to have foundational reading skills than those from the least advantaged group.
“Nigeria has 18.3 million children who are not in school, and a high number of children attending schools but not getting a solid education that can translate into good prospects for their future.
“While this crisis affects children across the country, girls, children with disabilities, children from the poorest households, street children, and children affected by displacement or emergencies are affected more,” the statement reads.
Adding further, she said, “discrimination and exclusion deepen intergenerational deprivation and poverty and result in poorer health, nutrition, and learning outcomes for children, a higher likelihood of incarceration, higher rates of pregnancy among adolescent girls, and lower employment rates and earnings in adulthood,” the statement added.